Chapter 73: The Disaster of Starry Sky, The Game Tilts p1
Naraku of Chaos.
Compared to the White Witch, this was a much more infamous Grotesquery True Name, ranked eighth in the Grotesquery Sequence, a true terror known as a “Taboo.”
Of course, compared to the dormant Naraku and its scarce Apostles, the Order-side forces were more familiar with the Naraku Authority stolen by the Harbingers using their secret techniques.
For some reason, compared to other Taboos, the price for wielding Naraku’s Authority was much lower. It seemed unwilling to restrict access to its Omniscience, even encouraging its spread.
However, as one of the beings who understood Naraku best in this world, Luo Ling knew that this seemingly low price was just a superficial illusion.
There was a saying, “free things are often the most expensive,” and another, “you get what you pay for.” Naraku’s Authority was like this.
It wasn’t that it wasn’t useful, but once used, one would become addicted, eventually becoming a slave to Omniscience.
Everyone who attempted to access or use Omniscience met a gruesome end, driven to madness in their pursuit of it. Even Naraku’s Godchosen were despised in the Kingdoms.
“Luo Ling, could it be… that you’ve even replaced Naraku now?” Fiona asked, her expression shocked as she examined this new version of Luo Ling.
She could understand the previous White Witch avatar as Luo Ling’s true form, disguised as a black-haired girl.
But now…
Although her expression was still indifferent, a faint, seductive aura constantly emanated from her, adding an alluring charm to the purple phantom.
Three distinct forms, all within the same person.
Could this… be Miss Luo Ling’s true form?
“…What are you thinking? I can only use the same abilities as Naraku, I’m not Naraku itself.”
Luo Ling twitched the corner of her mouth. If she were Naraku, things in Victoria wouldn’t be so troublesome.
She would simply eradicate both the Company and the Harbingers, no need for hiding and playing the sixth man.
Sensing Fiona’s increasingly strange gaze, Luo Ling quickly transformed back into her original black-haired girl form.
“Don’t misunderstand, Aunt Fiona. This is my true form. Both the White Witch and Amethyst—the codename for my Naraku form—are just my avatars.”
For some reason, she felt a flicker of regret in Fiona’s eyes after hearing this.
Could it be… that compared to a girl or a loli, Aunt Fiona preferred tall, older sister types?
No, no, what she liked had nothing to do with her…
“So, your special ability is to obtain Grotesquery abilities and eventually replace them?” Fiona asked after a moment of thought.
“I’m not sure about replacing them, but I can indeed obtain their abilities. However… the specifics are unclear,” Luo Ling replied.
She had previously believed her Devour allowed her to assume new forms, but thinking back… the appearance of both the White Witch and Amethyst forms seemed related to her sister.
Although the White Witch form was activated after killing Li Tianming, Luo Ling had already unknowingly Devoured something before that, likely her sister.
And her transformation into Amethyst was on the train, while she was unconscious. She had awakened to find her sister gone, unaware of what had transpired.
Only recently, while ascending her Naraku abilities, had she finally glimpsed the truth. The Amethyst form… was also bestowed upon her by her sister.
Moreover, she had been raised by her sister for as long as she could remember. Perhaps her sister had many hidden secrets… not retained in her memories.
“I understand more or less,” Fiona nodded slightly, then glanced around the room, a nostalgic look in her eyes. She looked out the window at the starry sky and narrowed her eyes. “I suppose… this isn’t Victoria?”
“It is, and it isn’t.”
Luo Ling, not good with words, simply sent a memory package to Fiona, giving her a basic understanding of the situation.
As expected, Fiona was shocked by the concept of Kingdoms, but after calming down and analyzing the information, she murmured,
“No wonder… I see. The Grotesquery Apostles have always been elusive. The Company’s analysis suggested they were hiding outside the Boundaries, in unreachable locations within the Realm of Nothingness. Although their conclusion was wrong, it… wasn’t entirely baseless.”
All along, the Grotesquery Apostles had been a small, insignificant group. Although the Company and the Harbingers were wary of these eccentric fanatics, they hadn’t taken them seriously.
The reason was simple: these Apostles were scattered and posed little threat, occasionally causing minor damage, their scale incomparable to even a single Harbinger operation.
Only with the concept of Kingdoms did Fiona finally understand why the Apostles and agents were so elusive.
And… the scale of the Grotesqueries’ followers might be far more terrifying than they had imagined.
Even within a Kingdom, Fiona was still shocked by this god-like ability.
She walked to the window, looking out at the night scene, her eyes narrowing as if recalling something.
“If Kingdoms are born from Boundary collapses, I might know the characteristic of this Kingdom,” Fiona said softly.
“Hmm?”
Luo Ling and Linna looked surprised, but they quickly understood.
Fiona… had likely personally experienced the Boundary collapse that birthed this Kingdom. The presence of her room in Starry Victoria indicated that Fiona had already joined the Fate Society and become an Awakened One at that time.
“Luo Ling, take out the Sacred Tool I gave you, Gloomlight,” Fiona said, turning around.
“Wait a moment.” Luo Ling transformed into the White Witch and, as Fiona watched in stunned silence, began rummaging through her hair.
“Her hair… can be used like this too?”
Fiona turned to Linna, who shrugged, indicating she also wasn’t sure.
Miss Luo Ling’s way of using her abilities was always unusual, including attaching fungal threads to the back of someone’s head, something an ordinary person wouldn’t think of.
After a while, Luo Ling took out a beautiful and exquisite hairpin, emitting a faint, dazzling starlight, somewhat similar to the stars in the sky.
Fiona took Gloomlight, then took the long-barreled firearm from Linna’s back.
“Actually, Gloomlight and Linna’s Star Gun are a set, capable of both offense and defense, both crafted from the same Sacred Relic.”
Fiona skillfully brought the two Sacred Tools together, a faint resonance forming between them as they activated simultaneously.
Gloomlight’s shield could be generated near Star Gun, and Star Gun could fire from Gloomlight’s position—it wasn’t actually a firearm, but a staff disguised as one.
Moreover, during resonance, the power of both Sacred Tools would be amplified.
“The Sacred Relic that created them… was this starry sky.”
Fiona looked up at the star-filled sky, a hint of fear in her eyes. “Grotesquery Sequence 24, the Illusory Starry Sky of Calamity.
“A disaster that… nearly destroyed all of Victoria.”
A disaster caused by Grotesquery Sequence 24 seemed far less threatening than the Immortality disaster, but this was a misconception. The severity of a disaster wasn’t determined by the Grotesquery’s Sequence, but by the disaster itself.
Twilight Victoria still had ordinary people, even if it was just a fragment of a Kingdom, while Starry Victoria was completely deserted. This spoke volumes.
Fiona didn’t elaborate on this disaster she had personally experienced, quickly composing herself and saying,
“Under the Illusory Starry Sky, all Elemental fluctuations are masked and amplified by the starlight. When the disaster struck, many people spontaneously combusted without warning. You might find this characteristic useful later.”
“…Mmm.”
Luo Ling and Linna nodded seriously.
Fiona returned the two Sacred Tools to Linna and Luo Ling. Linna, taking the Sacred Tool, looked puzzled. “But Mother, since these two Sacred Tools amplify each other when used together… why didn’t you give it to me before?”
“Because…” Fiona replied, looking at Luo Ling with a smile. “I was waiting for a suitable wielder. Let me have this small privilege.”
“……”
Luo Ling briefly considered throwing away the troublesome Sacred Tool, but she ultimately kept it, storing it in her hair.
Just then, a whimpering sound echoed. The three looked over and saw Elsa, eyes closed, wiping away tears.
Elsa was currently viewing the memories Luo Ling had given her, likely the part where the Hunt team members were killed one by one. The sentimental Elsa was easily moved to tears.
Seeing this, Luo Ling felt like she was watching someone else react to a TV drama she had starred in… although these were her own experiences.
“Little Elsa is so cute,” Fiona said with a smile. “It reminds me of Linna when she was young…”
“Mother!”
Linna stamped her foot in exasperation.
“Alright, alright, I won’t mention your embarrassing childhood stories,” Fiona sighed, but her smile couldn’t be suppressed.
But then, as if remembering something, Fiona’s expression turned serious. “Fortunately, Elsa has always kept a low profile.”
“Hmm?”
Luo Ling immediately looked up.
“As far as I know, the Company has been monitoring Elsa, in a relatively gentle way, of course. The agent in charge… is Cen Xiangyun.”
Fiona continued after a moment of thought, “After all, according to her file, she’s not only the White Witch’s friend, but also the only mentally sound survivor from Jiangcheng County.
“Of course, Miss Cen likely accepted this secret mission to protect little Elsa.”
This wasn’t surprising to Luo Ling. Even Cen Xiangyun being the monitoring agent was within her expectations.
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